TOYLCG 47🍒

Chapter — 47

The Duke of Eprien could not hide his confusion when a letter from the Crown Prince suddenly arrived at dawn.

He had been carefully watching the movements of the imperial family, so the surprise was even greater.

The Crown Prince was someone who usually came and went as he pleased, but lately, his visits had been rare.

“Should I say it’s a good thing that Rosebell isn’t here…?”

From the duke’s point of view, now—when his daughter was absent—felt like the right time. He still believed that meeting the Crown Prince face-to-face would bring no good.

News of the Crown Prince’s visit, after such a long silence, threw the ducal residence into a state of emergency. The servants hurried to finish their tasks and prepare to withdraw, and the duke informed the workers who were already busy of the prince’s arrival.

However, they simply bowed politely, as if used to such situations, and returned to their work.

The duke went back inside the mansion and carried out a final inspection. There was nothing in particular that bothered him, but he could not help feeling uneasy.

“Your Grace, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.”

“Escort him to the reception room.”

“Yes, sir.”

After adjusting his clothes one last time, the duke headed straight for the reception room.

“Greetings to the Empire’s Little Sun, His Highness Crown Prince Arcangelos.”

“It has been a while, Duke.”

“Have you been well all this time?”

“Yes, quite well. But I don’t see the young lady of the house…”

The duke was startled. He had not expected Arcangelos to ask about Rosebell the moment he arrived.

“Ah, she is visiting the Marquis of Ophelia’s estate.”

“I thought she didn’t participate in social activities. Has she started again?”

“No. She did not go for social reasons, but to conduct a transaction with the Marquis of Ophelia.”

Seeing the duke answer honestly, Arcangelos felt a small sense of relief.

He had been worried that the duke, like his daughter, might have changed.

“May I take a look around the orchard as usual?”

“I will guide you.”

For a moment, the duke frowned at Arcangelos’s unusual behavior. Normally, the prince would have gone alone, but this time he accepted an escort without hesitation.

Still, as always, who could truly understand his intentions?

The duke decided to treat it as another small whim. Though the prince’s immediate interest in Rosebell bothered him, he tried hard to ignore it.

Every time Arcangelos looked at the neatly maintained orchard, something twisted inside him. He knew the reason clearly, but he was not foolish enough to show it on his face.

“The orchard looks very green.”

“It seems we’ll have a good harvest again this year.”

“You sound confident.”

“That’s because Rosebell has been putting a lot of effort into it.”

At the duke’s words, Arcangelos paused. Then he noticed the workers’ clothes.

Everyone was wearing the same eye-catching trousers Rosebell used to wear. Interestingly, they all moved quickly and efficiently, clearly finding the clothes comfortable for work.

“It seems the young lady is steadily growing into her role as heir of the family.”

“I’m surprised myself. Even if I’m gone, I don’t think I need to worry about this orchard anymore.”

“But the young lady will have to marry someday, won’t she?”

The duke had expected this topic to come up. Engagement was an issue that naturally followed when a woman became the head of a family.

“I think living like the Marquis of Ophelia isn’t a bad choice.”

“But aren’t you afraid of how others might look at her?”

“The Marquis of Ophelia felt that way at first too. But over time, people began to praise her abilities. Even His Majesty the Emperor did.”

Arcangelos fell silent. Indeed, the Marquis of Ophelia had a good reputation. She had protected her family as a woman, possessed excellent business skills, and was not poorly regarded in high society.

Doing even one thing perfectly was difficult, yet she did everything well. That was why the Emperor valued her abilities. On top of that, the paper supplied to the imperial family came from her territory.

“You seem to believe the young lady has that level of ability as well.”

“Because I am the one teaching her.”

The duke had no intention of leaving even the smallest opening. He did not know why the prince kept bringing up his daughter, but he had no intention of sending her into the imperial family.

“Indeed. There is no one in this world who could replace you.”

“I will teach her well, so that even if I am gone, there will be no trouble for the Empire.”

“Isn’t that a strange thing to say, considering your age?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m young. Hahaha.”

Though the Duke of Eprien laughed, he felt uncomfortable. The remark about youth sounded too much like a suggestion to offer up his daughter.

“You’ll be able to shoulder the responsibility of the Eprien family for a long time, so I have no worries.”

“Your words honor me.”

The duke’s unease slowly became clear. Still, he thought it was very like the Crown Prince not to bring up engagement directly.

After all, when Rosebell had once pursued him earnestly, he had done everything he could to escape.

And the engagement pledge had already disappeared by Rosebell’s hand. Even if the prince still had a copy, it would be difficult for him to bring it up himself.

The Crown Prince was the future heir to the throne. From the duke’s perspective, there was little reason for him to form ties with the Eprien family, which held relatively weak influence among the nobility.

“Oh, by the way, I heard rumors that Lady Freya will soon return to the Empire…”

“I thought you weren’t interested in noble gossip, Duke. I suppose I was wrong.”

At those words, the duke was momentarily speechless. Had the prince noticed the issue with the maid?

No matter how young he seemed, the Crown Prince had grown up in the palace. The duke had briefly forgotten that his way of seeing the world was different from others.

“Even if I’m not interested, when rumors grow loud enough, they reach my ears.”

“I’m curious about your intention in suddenly bringing up Lady Freya.”

Intention.

The word clearly carried hostility. The duke realized he might have spoken unnecessarily.

Moreover, the prince’s tone had suddenly become curt, leaving the duke flustered. He hastily offered something like an excuse.

“She is influential even among the nobility. Wouldn’t it be good to keep her close?”

“That is something His Majesty and I will decide. Are you really in a position to advise me?”

Faced with the sharp words, the duke had no choice but to admit his mistake.

“I only wish for Your Highness’s peace.”

The duke thought that if the Crown Prince grew closer to Duke Douglas, his interest in Rosebell would fade.

Besides, Duke Douglas was not someone who strongly opposed him. If anything, he tended to disregard him. So if the Crown Prince became involved with Lady Freya, it would actually be good news for the Eprien family.

“Didn’t you once tell me to seek true love? It seems you, too, can speak lightly.”

“True love begins with meeting many people.”

The duke desperately tried to divert Arcangelos’s attention elsewhere, not realizing that it was having the opposite effect.

“Was it the same for you?”

“For me… it was love at first sight. The moment our eyes met, all the sounds of the world disappeared, and all I could hear was my heart beating.”

The duke was thinking of Ariel as he spoke, but every word made Arcangelos feel like a tainted man.

He told himself that their starting points were different, so it couldn’t be helped, yet he could not shake the feeling that the duke was overly sentimental.

“Do you believe such things can happen among nobles?”

“I wouldn’t say they can’t.”

“Count Demetra was engaged that way as well.”

At the unexpected example, Arcangelos had nothing to say. It was a famous story even among the nobility.

They had met for the first time at an imperial banquet, fallen in love at first sight, and married in quick succession. That story was still told to this day.

“Now that I think about it, it feels like the young lady has been leaving the territory more often lately…”

“What?”

“No, just talking to myself.”

Arcangelos realized too late that he had spoken carelessly. The duke’s emotional words had caused him to lose focus as well.

“Do you wish to see Rosebell?”

When the duke asked directly, Arcangelos smiled.

“Isn’t that only natural? Haven’t we been together since we were very young?”

We.

For a moment, anger surged inside the duke, but he suppressed it. It seemed the prince had forgotten how little attention he had actually given Rosebell to use the word we so lightly.

There had been a time when his daughter lived drowning in tears, anger, and depression because of the Crown Prince. Even if she had been young, those emotions were not something to dismiss.

Knowing his daughter’s past, the duke felt that the prince’s use of we was an insult to her.

“Friendship from childhood often lasts a lifetime.”

“But wasn’t it more than friendship? Didn’t you exchange a pledge? Or do you dislike the imperial family?”

Because the Crown Prince refused to yield even a single word, the duke felt as if his jaw might cramp from forcing a smile.